Accelerating the testing and validation of new firmware components

Abstract

New firmware versions may be tested more efficiently and more quickly by making an analysis of how a change in the firmware affects components, protocols, and drivers. Based on a determination of the dependencies between the changed components, drivers, and protocols, a list of tests that need to be undertaken can be derived. This list of tests may be much less extensive than all the tests that would normally be run to validate a new version of the firmware. As a result, the test time may be reduced in some embodiments.

1 . A method comprising: 
 detecting characteristics of a platform; and    using the detection of those characteristics to determine which tests to run on a new firmware version to validate the new firmware version.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  including reducing the number of tests to be run based on said determination.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  including comparing a new firmware image with an old firmware image.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  including deriving a list of drivers updated in the new firmware image.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  including developing a list of additional drivers according to driver dependencies.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  including deriving a list of hardware components managed by those drivers.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  including deriving additional hardware components according to component dependencies.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  including identifying protocols produced by those updated drivers.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  including identifying additional protocols according to protocol dependencies.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  including selecting test cases from a test case library to test the derived components, drivers, and protocols.  
     
     
         11 . A computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause a system to: 
 detect characteristics of a platform; and    use the detection of those characteristics to determine which tests to run on a new firmware version to validate the new firmware version.    
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 11  further storing instructions to reduce the number of tests to be run based on said determination.  
     
     
         13 . The medium of  claim 11  further storing instructions to compare a new firmware image with an old firmware image.  
     
     
         14 . The medium of  claim 11  further storing instructions to derive a list of drivers updated in the new firmware image.  
     
     
         15 . The medium of  claim 14  further storing instructions to developd a list of additional drivers according to driver dependencies.  
     
     
         16 . The medium of  claim 14  further storing instructions to derive a list of hardware components managed by those drivers.  
     
     
         17 . The medium of  claim 16  further storing instructions to derive additional hardware components according to component dependencies.  
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 14  further storing instructions to identify protocols produced by those updated drivers.  
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 18  further storing instructions to identify additional protocols according to protocol dependencies.  
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 19  further storing instructions to select test cases from a test case library to test the derived components, drivers, and protocols.  
     
     
         21 . A firmware validation system comprising: 
 a probing utility to determine hardware components, protocols, and drivers of a hardware platform; and    a test plan generator to compare a new firmware image to an old firmware image and to derive a list of drivers updated in the new firmware image.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  including a test case library including a set of possible tests that may be run on said hardware platform, said test plan generator to select some, but not all, of said tests in said test plan library.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , said test plan generator to develop a list of additional drivers according to driver dependencies.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21  wherein said test plan generator to develop a list of hardware components managed by said drivers.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , said test plan generator to identify protocols produced by said updated drivers.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the validation system is internal to a system being tested by said validation system.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the validation system is removably connectable to a system whose firmware is to be tested by said validation system.